Karsevaks give cops the slip in Ahmedabad

In a tactical move, at least 1000 karsevaks from Gujarat on Tuesday gave waiting cops a slip at the Ahmedabad railway station preferring to leave for Ayodhya by 'other means of transport'.

The Sabarmati Express, which the karsevaks were expected to board, left at its scheduled 8.20 pm (IST), with virtually empty bogies.

"We have changed our scheduled programme to go by Sabarmati Express from Ahmedabad," Vishwa Hindu Parishad state general secretary Joydeep Patel said at the railway station.

Scores of security personnel including the Border Security Force, State Security Commando Force, Railway Protection Force and State Reserve Police Force were in strength to keep the karsevaks at bay.

However, there were hardly any karsevaks and fewer VHP or Bharatiya Janata Party workers. Patel said, "We have to reach Ayodhya by any means. So we are travelling by bus or other means."

He said, "Thousand karsevaks from Gujarat would definitely reach Ayodhya by March 14 evening to take part in March 15 programme for the construction of the temple."

"All are men and armed with sacred Trishul," he said, adding other karsevaks would include 300 from Baroda and 200 from Anand.

Claiming 'definite information' from highly placed sources that the Gujarat government was proposing to restrict the movement of karsevaks at the instance of the Centre, Patel said, "This is a short term measure in the interest of our long term programme to reach Ayodhya and take part in the historic Ram Temple construction work."